Page 16 - Discover Summer 2022

Answering The

CALL

By Charles Alexander

You never know when God will call two new homes for disaster victims there.
you.
Lake resident Wayne Blake is a retired
For Randy and Terry Johnson, that truck driver, who joined the crew in 2013. He
call came in May of 1999, as they watched is a towering figure of a man, with a gentle
reports of the devastation caused by one of disposition and a caring heart. Just prior
the largest tornadoes in to his retirement, he had
recorded history. They attended a 50th reunion
sprang into action, with his significant other,
mobilizing a small Jill Pryor. While there,
fleet of borrowed he happened to spot a
trucks and trailers to gentleman wearing a God’s
deliver three loads of Pit Crew jacket, and the
emergency supplies rest is history. He soon
to the victims. For signed on as a volunteer
them, it was a life- driver, after visiting the
changing experience, warehouse and seeing their
and it inspired them brightly colored trucks.
to establish their
His first mission
own non-profit crisis
was to Moore, OK, after
response organization,
a tornado caused major
which they named
damage there. The crew
“God’s Pit Crew”.
worked there for several
Their mission weeks, cutting trees,
statement: cleaning up debris, and
building two brand new
Our calling is to bring hope, healing,
homes for people who had lost theirs in the
and restoration to those in times of crisis.
storm. You can feel the compassion in his
Headquartered in Danville, God’s Pit voice when he talks about his experiences.
Crew will travel the length and breadth of
“In Moore OK, it was a life shaking
this country in order to fulfill their mission.
situation. I drove a truck all over this country,
At this point in time, they are responding to
and I’ve seen tornadoes all across the plains,
a tornado that hit Wentworth, NC, and their
Texas, Oklahoma, going to California and
rebuilding team is in Bremen, KY, building
back, seen them and never gave them much

14 Discover Smith Mountain Lake SUMMER 2022